I Will Be Fierce!

by Bea Birdsong, Nidhi Chanani (Illustrator)

Overview

An uplifting board book about courage, confidence, kindness, and finding the extraordinary in everyday moments. A perfect back-to-school pick.

Today I will be FIERCE!

It's a brand new day, and a young girl decides to take on the world like a brave explorer heading off on an epic fairytale quest.

From home to school and back again, our hero conquers the Mountain of Knowledge (the library), forges new bridges (friendships), and leads the victorious charge home on her steed (the school bus).

An empowering board book with magical illustrations by Nidhi Chanani.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250394194
Publisher:	Roaring Brook Press
Publication date:	06/17/2025
Pages:	22
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 6.45(h) x 0.45(d)
Age Range:	3 Months to 3 Years

About the Author

Bea Birdsong began her career as a classroom teacher before becoming a writer and editor for the education market. She has a degree in English Literature and Elementary Education from the University of Miami. Bea is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and Sisters in Crime. She lives in North Carolina with her husband, son, and spoiled rescue dog named Bilbo. She spends her free time reading, traveling, and searching for hidden doors to other worlds. I Will Be Fierce is her first picture book.

Nidhi Chanani was born in Kolkata, India and raised in California. She holds a literature degree from the University of California, Santa Cruz. She creates illustrations that capture love in everyday moments. In 2012 she was honored by the Obama Administration as a Champion of Change. Her illustrations are often featured at Disney Parks. She’s the author of the graphic novel Pashmina; Shubh Raatri Dost/Good Night Friend, a bilingual board book; and illustrator of the picture book I Will Be Fierce. Nidhi draws and dreams in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and kid.

Editorial Reviews

A multicultural girl-power manifesto . . . Birdsong's repeated refrain underlines the unambiguous message of this sassy picture book, and Chanani's bold and energetic illustrations reinforce the text's punchy, feminist-y declarations. . . the book will find repeated use in the classroom.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Readers will smile at the charming and clever interplay between the words and pictures, and even younger audiences will understand the subtext: Being fierce means being kind to others and finding joy. The bright, expressive illustrations are full of movement, giving purpose to the girl’s adventure.” —Booklist

“A simple, empowering tale that encourages children to be the heroes of their own stories. An engaging choice for storytime or one-on-one sharing.” —School Library Journal

From the Publisher

04/01/2025

PreS-Gr 1—An unnamed young girl is determined to conquer the day in this epic and encouraging tale. Repeating the titular phrase, the child dons her armor (a colorful sweater), loads up her treasure chest (her backpack), and charges out the door to "explore new worlds." As the school day passes, the adventurer "walks with giants" by standing with the older kids at the bus stop, climbs the "Mountain of Knowledge" while checking out a sizable stack of books from the school library, and makes her voice heard as she volunteers to participate in the classroom show-and-tell. The day and story conclude with the protagonist resting to be fierce again tomorrow. The main character's enthusiasm, perseverance, and imagination are irresistible, and will leave children ready to set out on their own adventures, big and small, while also framing the school day as an unforgettable quest. An ideal read-aloud, this book features colorful illustrations of a diverse classroom and community. Pair with Angela DiTerlizzi's The Magical Yet or Jessica Hische's Tomorrow I'll Be Brave for equally compelling titles. VERDICT A warm and welcome addition to collections.—Olivia Gorecke

School Library Journal

2019-03-03

A multicultural girl-power manifesto featuring a feisty young girl who faces her day as a knight on an epic quest.

The unnamed narrator puts on her "armor" (a rainbow sweater) and fills her "treasure chest" (a backpack). Venturing forth to "explore new worlds," she drives back "dragons" (neighborhood dogs on their walk), boards the "many-headed serpent" (her school bus, with schoolmates' heads protruding from every window), and visits "the Mountain of Knowledge" (the school library) to "solve the mysteries of the unknown." After standing up for her beliefs—by joining a classmate sitting alone in the cafeteria—the young girl returns home to rest in the lap of an older female relative, possibly a grandparent/primary caregiver, to prepare for the next day, when she can be "fierce again." Birdsong's repeated refrain—"I will be fierce!"—underlines the unambiguous message of this sassy picture book, and Chanani's bold and energetic illustrations reinforce the text's punchy, feminist-y declarations. They depict a joyously multiracial environment, consciously tackling stereotypes with an elderly, white, female bus driver and a groovy, Asian-presenting librarian with a green streak in her hair. The fierce protagonist herself has brown skin and fluffy, dark brown hair, and her caregiver also has brown skin.

Birdsong began her career as a teacher, and the book will find repeated use in the classroom. (Picture book. 4-7)

Kirkus Reviews